Electrical connectors



Aug. 9, 1960 2,948,878

J. A. TOEDTMAN ELECTRICAL CONNECTORS Filed Sept. 5, 1957 INVENTOR JOHN A TOEDTMAN BY 804w ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent Jasper Blackburn Corporation, St. Louis, Mo., a corporation of Missouri Filed Sept. 5, 1957, Ser. No. 682,137 2 Claims. 01. 339-265) The present invention relates to improvements in electrical wire connectors.

The main object of the invention is to provide a connector which can be applied more easily and quickly to an overhead line, as for purposes of connecting a tap-off wire thereto, than is possible with existing types of connectors of comparable size, and which in all other respects is equal or superior to other such connectors.

The invention is particularly concerned with connectors of the type having opposed, grooved plates, and an intermediate or separator plate, and bolts that extend through the plates for drawing them into clamping engagement with the cables and wires seated in their grooves. In the present invention the clamping bolts are arranged on opposite sides of the wire seats and make threaded engagement with the upper clamping plates. The clamping bolts at one side of the wire seats are adapted to be completely unthreaded from the upper clamping plate so as to afford a lateral passage leading to the upper wire seat and means are provided to cause those bolts to assume an angular or canted position when free of the upper plates and supported by the lower plate, whereby to present a lateral entrance passage of increased width and accessibility. These provisions are of material assistance to a lineman, especially when making a wire connection remotely, as with the use of a clamp stick.

Other objects and advantages will hereinafter more cleary appear from the following description wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device with portions of conductors shown in broken lines;

Fig. 2 is a side elevational view of the device illustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end elevational view thereof, and

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view taken at line 4-4 of Fig. 2, with the parts arranged for application to a through conductor.

Referring now by characters of reference to the drawings, the lower clamping plate 5 includes an elongated central portion of substantial depth, having a longitudinal outstanding rib 6 on its upper side provided with a shallow channel 7 therein for the reception of a wire, desig nated B, generally a tap-off or branch wire. Projecting from opposite sides of said central portion are the bosses or lugs 8, arranged in pairs and located near the ends of the plate 5. Vertical bores in the said bosses provide passages 9 for the shanks of clamping bolts 10 and 11 located at relatively opposite sides of the groove or Wire seat 7. It is to be noted that the bolt passages 9 are appreciably larger in diameter than the bolt shanks, enabling the lower plate to adjust itself to a conductor seated in its groove without undue restriction by the clamping bolt. The enlargement also allows the bolts to assume an angular position with respect to the axis of the passages, as best appears in Fig. 4. Circular recesses 12 in the lower face of clamping plate 6 accommodate with small clearance the lock washers 13, acting to pre- "ice - in its under surface with a wire groove 17 appreciably greater in width and depth than the wire groove 7 in plate 6. Projecting laterally from opposite sides of the central portion are the bosses or lugs 18 located above and in conformity to the lugs 8 of the lower clamping plate. Bosses 18 are provided with vertical bores 19, threaded to receive the threaded shank portions of the clamping bolts 10 and 11.

A spacer plate 20 is interposed between the upper and lower clamping plates 6 and 15. This plate has a longitudinal upstanding rib 21 extending centrally of its upper surface and a relatively shallow wire seat 22 in the upper surface of said rib. The rib 21 is shaped to fit within the wire groove 17 of upper clamping plate 15 and when so disposed provides for the complete encirclement of a wire A by the seat-forming portions of the upper and intermediate plates, as best appears from Fig. 3. The spacer plate 20 is formed in its lower portion to provide a longitudinal wire groove 23, of a size to receive the upstanding ridge 6 and wire seat 7 of lower plate 5. The plate 20 is retained in assembly with the clamping bolts 11 which extend through loops or eyes 24 integrally formed and projecting at one side only from the spacer plate. The openings or bolt passages in the eyes 24 are appreciably larger than the diameters of the bolt shanks as to permit of a limited degree of movement of the spacer plate, independently of the clamping bolts, so that the said plate can adjust itself to the wires A and B without undue restriction by the clamping bolts. The upper ends of clamping bolts 11 are spread at one point by peening tool, as indicated at 25 (Fig. l) to prevent their complete withdrawal and detachment from the upper clamping plate. Thus clamping bolts 11 serve to hold the several plates of the connector in permanent assem bly.

Recesses 27 are provided in the opposite side of the spacer plate, these being of size to afford clearance for the clamping bolts 11 and for collars 28 disposed on the shank portions of these bolts. Said collars are preferably formed of rubber. They are adjustable along the bolt shanks but remain in a set position thereon. Collars 28 serve to retain the clamping bolts 10 in assembly with the lower plate 6, and additionally, coact with the lower clamping plate to cause said bolts to assume an angular suspended position as shown in Fig. 4, when free of the upper plate 15. To this end the upper surfaces of lugs 8 of the lower clamping plate 5 slope downwardly and outwardly and provide an inclined seat for receiving collars 28. The angular position of bolts 11 when retracted, as appears in Fig. 4, yields a passageway of increased width and accessibility for the lateral introduction of a continuous wire.

The upper plate 15 may be and preferably is provided with a handle bar 30, the ends of which are connected to the bosses 18 at the rear side of the plate. The bar 30 affords a convenient means for holding the connector, as by a linemans stick, when applying it to an overhead line. Clamping bolts having head portions in the form of eyes or loops may be provided instead of the machine bolts illustrated herein, further to facilitate use of the device as a so-called hot line clamp, and installation thereof with the use of a linemans stick.

The hereindescribed connector affords a number of other advantages over heretofore prevailing types, not the least of which is that all of the parts of the device remain in assembled relation at all times. There are no separable bolts, nuts or washers to be handled and possibly dropped and lost while making a tap-off junction with an overhead line.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An electrical connector comprising an upper, a lower and an intermediate clamping plate, said lower and intermediate plates having outstanding "channel-led ribs extending longitudinally on the upper sides thereof, said upper and intermediate clamping plates having longitudinal grooves in the lower sides thereof to receive said channelled ribs and provide circumferentially closed wire passages, clamping bolts at one side of said wire passages extending freely through relatively enlarged eye openings in said lower and intermediate plates, and threadedly into eye openings in the upper plate, means for preventing complete withdrawal of said bolts from said threaded eye openings, other clamping bolts at'the opposite sides of said wire passages extending freely through enlarged eye openings in 'said lower plate and threadedly into eye A l openings in said upper plate, and'bolt retaining-collars'o'n said other clamping bolts located between said upper and lower clamping plates, said intermediate plate being recessed laterally to accommodate said other bolts and collars.

2. A wire connector as described in claim 1 having downwardly and outwardly sloping top surfaces on said lower clamping plate, said sloping top surfaces being adapted to receive said bolt retaining collars for holding the associated bolts in an inclined position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,281,517 Chubb Oct. 15, 1918 1,939,813 Hagist Dec. 19, 1933 2,426,857 Birkenmaier Sept. 2, 1947 2,771,591 Vordtriede Nov. 20, 1956 

